


Terrors Don’t Prey on Innocent Victims

by lovehugsandcandy



Category: Ride or Die (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-06 01:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovehugsandcandy/pseuds/lovehugsandcandy
Summary: Colt can’t deal after seeing Ellie crash (post-chapter 15).





	Terrors Don’t Prey on Innocent Victims

“There’s gotta be another way…”

But her car didn’t slow, didn’t swerve. “No. This is where I get off.” Colt could hear the steel in her voice and watched as her car accelerated, straight toward The Brotherhood cop blocking the off-ramp.

His heart stopped and he could only watch, horror growing, as Ellie didn’t slow down. He gasped, a sharp breath, loud in the parking lot, as she smashed into the car and went airborne, like a shot, through the guardrail of the overpass, spinning, flying, falling, for a terrifying 15 feet before the wheels hit the ground.

The car rolled and rolled, slamming into the police blockade with a roar, NOS system still hissing. The world stopped, red and blue lights flashing patterns in the night sky.

Colt could hear a moan and then, softly, Ellie spoke. “Be more than this.”

Before he could answer, right as he formed the words he wanted to say, the  _please you can’t leave me_  on his lips, the explosion shook the earth under him. Wreckage from the car flew into the air, meteors of smoking parts somersaulting into the night, the cannonball of flames shooting into the night sky, licking the overpass above, the heat burning Colt’s face.

He screamed. And screamed.

 

And sat up. He didn’t know what woke him, the screams ripped out of his throat or the pounding on the wall behind him, the assholes in the room next door making their displeasure evident. He reached behind him and banged back, because fuck them, looking at the clock. 2:47am. Fuck.

He was still breathing hard, panting really, when he grabbed the phone. He knew he shouldn’t do it but he wasn’t fully awake yet, the dread beating out his common sense, unstoppable terror that this was some kind of warning.

_Are you ok? Is everything alright?_

He dropped the phone, trying to steady his breathing, and swung his legs to the floor, sitting up at the edge of the bed, head in his hands. Fuck, that one was bad. He was no stranger to the nightmares that haunted him over the last few weeks but they seemed to be getting more intense.

He took a deep breath in and realized he was covered in sweat, cooling, clammy on his skin. He ripped the t-shirt over his head and threw it into a corner of the shit motel room he was holed up in while he planned his next move. The room was a piece of junk but anonymous; no one cared who he was or what he did as long as he paid, the perfect place to hide away for a time.

The phone vibrated and he dove for it, stretched out on the bed to read the messages as they came in.

_I’m fine._

_It’s like 3am._

_Is everything ok?_

He took a deep breath, in and out. It was just a stupid dream. Apparently, the days of looking over his shoulder for the next horror weren’t over, but at least everything was fine at the moment.

_Sorry. Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep._

He tossed the phone on the pillow and stood, stretching. He still felt gross so he wandered over to the bathroom, turning the shower on. While he waited for the water to warm, stupid  _shitty_ motel, he stared at himself in the mirror, leaning over. A light sheen of sweat still covered him, scab bright on his shoulder where the bullet from the vault pierced his skin, but worst were his eyes, bloodshot and dull. He knew he hadn’t been sleeping well but damn, he looked like hell. He immediately felt guilty at the thought; at least he looked alive, which was more than he could say for-

He shook his head. These thoughts weren’t helping at all. Fuck.

He stepped into the shower, hoping the water on his skin would erase the thoughts from his head. He stood there for a minute before getting clean, able to wash the sweat off, even if the memory of the nightmare still remained. He started to crank the water up, higher and higher, finally getting it as hot as it would go, as if it could burn away everything, every mistake that brought him here, every sin he couldn’t take back. The water scalded but he stood and stood, immobile under the steady stream of burning washing over him.

Finally, when he couldn’t take it anymore, he got out, toweling off and looking at the deep red marks on his skin. He shook his head and walked out, knowing he wouldn’t get back to sleep tonight. He pulled on a pair of boxers and, heading over to the bed, realized the notification light on his phone was on.

Three missed calls, four text messages.

_Are you sure?_

_Colt, answer your phone._

_Are you ok?_

_I swear to God, if you don’t pick up, I’m coming over there._

Crap. The last one was sent at 2:59. He looked at the clock. 3:15. Fuck.

He started to type but the knocking at the door interrupted him. He got up, cautious, and looked the the keyhole (never make the same mistake twice, right?). Ellie stood there, biting her lip, looking anxious. He pulled open the door. Great. He ruined her night too.

“You didn’t need to come.” 

She breezed by him, into the room, still in an over-sized sleep shirt, clutching a backpack. “You didn’t pick up your phone.”

He shut the door and turned to find her studying him. “I was in the shower.”

“At 3am?” She looked at him, considering. “Nightmare?” 

He could only look at her, couldn’t get the words to come out, could only shrug. He saw her eyes soften; he hated how she could see straight through him.

She grabbed his hand, pulling him with her. “Come on, back to bed.”

“What about school?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I set an alarm.”

“Your dad?”

“Night shift. It’s fine.” She slid into the bed, the shitty bed in this shitty hotel; he would feel guilty but he was too spent to feel anything, really.

He curved around her, pulling her back to his chest, burying his face in her neck, deep breaths, trying to reassure his psyche that she was here and alive. Their legs tangled, her smooth skin rubbing against him, his cock jumping at the sensation. He knew it wasn’t the time but damn, she was gorgeous, soft in his arms, hand finding his and holding tight.

He watched her, tight next to him, as the rise and fall in her chest slowed, deepened, studied the wave of her hair, mole behind her ear. He thought he wouldn’t sleep again tonight but he was shocked when could feel his eyelids become heavier. With Ellie here, he knew there would be no more nightmares, at least tonight, and so, finally, he drifted off, clutching her, knowing she was safe.


End file.
